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They both look at each other and Aminah smirks. ‘I’ve kind of missed you, Newbie. Nice to have my junior sibling-spouse back.’

‘Missed you too, Meenz. I am still older than you, though.’

‘Not spiritually.’

‘Fine. Does she still have that look on her face–the one that looks like That’s So Raven having a premonition? I can’t see properly from this angle.’

‘Yup.’ Kofi squints at me. ‘Sometimes, it looks like she’s holding in a fart.’

I narrow my eyes at him. ‘I feel like it looks more like a genius having genius ideas. Which is what is happening right now. So, stay with me. Kofi and Aminah, you have all your best friends here–Kofi, your cousins are here and, Aminah, your sister’s here. We’re in a beautiful country. . .’ Malakai squeezes my waist. ‘And didn’t you say you had that private sunset wine tasting at the Black-owned winery? I bet they do weddings all the time. There’ll definitely be someone to officiate.’

Amazingly, Aminah doesn’t immediately reject this idea. That’s already a good sign.

‘This sounds completely insane, but–’ she looks at Kofi– ‘is it?’

He kisses her shoulder. ‘No. Not if you want to do it.’ Kofi is so blissed out from Aminah being absolutely fine and obviously still besotted with him I think he would agree to get married in a Slug & Lettuce in Monument at this point. Which is objectively hell on earth. ‘We’re going to need a registrar, though,’ Kofi says, ‘and getting one on short notice would be impossible—’

‘Not impossible when you’re connected to a global popstar. I once heard an unreleased Rihanna track when I was with her.’

Aminah gasps. ‘Sorcery.’

I nod solemnly. ‘So you see what we’re dealing with. Look, this way you’ll have something small and intimate just for you. And so when you get stressed about the wedding you’ll be able to relax because you’ve already had something your way. We have this wedding, you cancel your white—’

It’s at this moment that I think Aminah might pass out. I almost see the blood drain from her face. She’s been doing pretty well so far, so I guess it’s about time for a freakout. ‘My mother might actually claim I’m trying to kill her—’

‘Right, which is why we still go through with the traditional. Have a faith leader of your choicedo a short blessing of the marriage there. You might lose a few deposits, but you’ll get enough money back to maybe extend your honeymoon and do a little travelling. I’ll help you call vendors as soon as we’re back? Don’t worry– it’s the best of both worlds. Also, you can wear your white dress at the traditional. What’s one more costume change? It’ll be like a Beyoncé tour. Minah Money Moves on tour.’

Aminah stares at me as a smile begins to grow on her face, her eyes lighting up. ‘Killa Keeks, this is why you are my maid of honour, wife, best friend and emergency contact. OK.’ She claps her hands. ‘OK.Text the group chat. We need all hands on deck. I packed four different white dresses for this trip, and all of them are beautiful, I gotta say. I love a theme. I just need non-ugly flowers–you think I can trust Laide for that?’

‘I’ll take Kofi shopping and tell the others what’s happening,’ Malakai offers, ‘and I’ll call the vineyard.’

‘Whoa,’ Kofi says, offended, ‘Why do you need to take me shopping?’

‘Because I’ve seen what you packed.’

‘Coming from a man who leaves three buttons unbuttoned.’

‘If you got it, flaunt it, man. You should join me. I’m proud of my tiddies.’ I grin and reach over the table to hold Aminah’s hands, ignoring the lovebirds. ‘All right. Let’s get you married.’

‘I already am,’ she says, ‘to you, but I get your point.’

Chapter 21

Never Too Much

Aminah looks like the feeling you get when you first see a blossom on a tree after a frigid winter. She’s radiant, the love and joy singing from her skin as she stands opposite Kofi, whose entire face is taken over by his smile; his eyes, concentrated bliss, directed at his bride, who reflects it all back to him.

Table Mountain presides over the vineyard majestically, and makes for a ridiculously stunning vista, the green sloping expanse of the vineyard unfurling beyond us like a carpet, the air sweet and soft and warm to the nose. The sky seems to have got the dress code too and winks lilac among the pink of the sunset. Aminah breathes the best sort of life to bridal clichés. She looks like a fairytale queen, ethereal, so stunning it makes my breath catch, and it isn’t just her clothes, it’s the look on her face–total contentment, surety in her choices, fealty to the sanctity of this moment. And she really does have the perfect dress: a cream strapless floral-embroidered floor-length tulle over a bandeau mini dress.

She’s holding a tumble of lilies that her sister, overjoyed at the idea of a small rebellion against their parents, ran to get. Aminah looks both delicate and daring, like her, splendidly her. Kofi looks so handsome too, wearing an impressively fitted suit that Malakai managed to find at an outlet store. His dark skin gleams with a deep-seated triumph, all his white teeth on show in a confident joy boosted by the fact that his dreams have become material. He is currently breathing in his biggest wish and his wish has given life back to him.

Malakai and I barely got to talk to each other whilst we were running around prepping, doing our duties diligently, gladly, so it’s the first time we’ve seen each other properly since the bakery, standing here opposite each other at our best friends’ sides.

He catches my eye and my stomach somersaults. He mouths, ‘You’re beautiful,’ and my joints feel incapacitated. My dress is a backless purple, orange and fuscia floral chiffon maxi that skims my curves. I’d wondered if it was a little casual, didn’t rise to the occasion of my best friend’s wedding, but Malakai’s looking at me like I am all the gold in the world, and now I have to use all the love I have for Aminah and Kofi to keep myself upright.

I mouth back, ‘You too,’ because he does, in his simple white button-down shirt and navy trousers, the unbridled love for his friends glittering over his face.

The wedding party sits on white fold-out chairs behind us, all in their bachelor/bachelorette party best, which, it turns out, is very impressive. No one questioned the plan; it made sense, felt right. Taré informed us that she called M, who apparently had heard about the two rogue guests who had taken a dip in her pool and was so impressed by their ‘audacity’ that she pulled strings. Soon, the owner of the vineyard was delighted to extend our time there and expand our tasting feast to a full braai banquet.